..::Football III::..

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Manchester United make £27million Luke Shaw bid

Manchester United have launched a £27m bid for Southampton's England left-back Luke Shaw, according to Sky sources.

Shaw has been widely mooted as a target for United this summer and it appears they are keen to get their business done before the World Cup and before they have appointed a permanent manager.

They ended their season, with Ryan Giggs in interim charge, against the Saints on Sunday at St Mary's but there is no official confirmation from either side that any talks about Shaw have taken place.Shaw has made a massive impact since his Southampton debut in November 2012, quickly nailing down a regular role and doing enough to earn his senior England debut against Denmark in February.

He is nervously waiting to find out whether he will be selected by Roy Hodgson on Monday for his World Cup squad and might soon have a decision to make about his club future.

United are keen to sign a young left-back but will have to find a huge transfer fee to tempt Southampton, with Shaw having signed a new five-year contract on his 18th birthday last July.Their veteran left-back Patrice Evra is out of contract this summer and could have played his last game for the club on Sunday.

United could also appoint their next permanent manager in the next week, with Netherlands national coach Louis van Gaal still favourite to take over from David Moyes.

 

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Luke Shaw wa ganna puluwan unoth hodai
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Southampton demand €37 million for Lallana

Southampton have placed a €37 million valuation on Liverpool target Adam Lallana, Goal understands.

The Merseysiders submitted a €25m bid for the England international on Monday only hours after the end of the Premier League season.

The Saints accept that Lallana is ready to push for a move to Liverpool, who will compete in next season's Champions League after finishing second, but value their skipper far higher than the offer on the table.

They are expected to reject the Reds' bid and hold out for a transfer fee closer to their €37m valuation of the player.

Lallana was named in England's World Cup squad on Monday following an outstanding season in which he featured on a six-man shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award that eventually went to Luis Suarez.

The attacking midfielder, who turned 26 last Saturday, has attracted interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham but has been most strongly coveted by Liverpool, who have made him one of their main summer targets.

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers is a huge admirer of the Saints star's technical skills and ability to play in a number of attacking positions behind the strikers.

Lallana is contracted to the Hampshire club until 2018 after signing a new deal last year but those close to him believe that the next window could be an ideal time to move to one of England's biggest clubs.

Southampton have publicly insisted that they are under no pressure to sell players but they are believed to be prepared to cash in on some of their prize assets, who include not only Lallana but Luke Shaw, Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin. Shaw is close to tying up a €30m-plus move to Manchester United, where he could become the world's highest-paid teenager, while Schneiderlin is a long-time target for Arsenal.

New Southampton director Hans Hofstetter admitted in March that the restructured board had "inherited a difficult situation financially" as it emerged in the club's latest set of annual accounts that there was an outstanding transfer debt of €33m.

Lallana, who joined the Saints as a 12-year-old and graduated from their famed academy, has had an outstanding season for Mauricio Pochettino's team, in which he started 37 of their 38 Premier League matches and scored nine goals.

Pochettino spoke in glowing terms of his club captain in the wake of Southampton's 4-0 win over Newcastle in April, describing him as a "special and unique player" who “has the skills of an [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi or [Cesc] Fabregas".

 

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Lallana niyamaiGodak durata Liverpool join wei

 

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Januzaj makes Belgium provisional World Cup squad

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots has announced his provisional squad for next month's World Cup, including Manchester United youngster Adnan Januzaj in the list of players.The Red Devils have been drawn in Group H of the showpiece in Brazil, alongside Russia, Algeria and South Korea, kicking the tournament off against Algeria on June 17.

And Wilmots has announced a squad of 24 plus a list of six players on a standby list, who will slot in should there be any injuries to those in the original squad.
The coach has named teenager Januzaj in his squad, which will be cut by one player before the tournament begins.

Alongside the 19-year-old are usual suspects Thibaut Courtois, Jan Vertonghen, Vincent Kompany Dries Mertens, Eden Hazard, Marouane Feillaini and Romelu Lukaku. Axel Witsel is also called up.The only other surprise inclusion is Lille's 19-year-old forward Divock Origi, who has scored five times in 29 Ligue 1 games this season.

Koen Casteels remains a doubt for the tournament as he is struggling with injury. If he isn't fit for the tournament, Silvio Proto will take his position.Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan is not included in the team, but is named on the standby list of players alongside the likes of Thorgan Hazard, Guillaume Gillet and Standard Liege youngster Michy Batshuayi.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet, Koen Casteels, Silvio Proto

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld, Laurent Ciman, Anthony Vanden Borre, Vincent
Kompany, Daniel Van Buyten, Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen, Nicolas Lombaerts

Midfielders: Axel Witsel, Steven Defour, Marouane Fellaini, Mousa Dembele, Nacer Chadli, Kevin De Bruyne

Forwards: Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Divock Origi, Dries Mertens, Kevin Mirallas, Adnan Januzaj

Standby list: Sebastien Pocognoli, Jelle Van Damme, Thorgan Hazard, Radja Nainggolan, Michy Batshuayi, Guillaume Gillet

 

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Shaqiri named in young Switzerland squad

Ottmar Hitzfeld has named a young Switzerland squad to travel to Brazil for the World Cup next month, with Bayern Munich attacker Xherdan Shaqiri among the star names.

There are no players currently over 30 years of age in a youthful party to travel to the finals, with Swiss fans hoping the likes of Shaqiri and Josip Drmic can fire them into the knockout stages.

Hitzfeld's men were placed in the draw as one of the top seeds due to their ranking at the time, and have been drawn in Group E, against France, Honduras and Ecuador.Bayern's Shaqiri is the star name in the squad, and is fit after recovering from a thigh injury suffered in a Bundesliga match against Augsburg in April 5.

Likewise goalkeeper Diego Bengaglio and defenders Philippe Senderos and Fabian Schar have all overcome knocks and feature in the squad which shows few surprises.

Bayer Leverkusen's Eren Derdiyok misses out on being included in the 23 after starting just four Bundesliga games for Bayer Leverkusen this season.
The striker is included on the standby list, as is Fulham's Pajtim Kasami, who Hitzfeld explained had not been playing regularly enough for his club side.

Goalkeepers: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Roman Burki (Grasshoppers), Yann Sommer (Basel)

Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Michael Lang (Grasshoppers), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schar (Basel), Philippe Senderos (Valencia), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys), Reto Ziegler (Sassuolo)

Midfielders: Tranquillo Barnetta (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami (Napoli), Blerim Dzemaili (Napoli), Gelson Fernandes (Freiburg), Gokhan Inler (Napoli), Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich), Valentin Stocker (Basel), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Forwards: Josip Drmic (Nuremberg), Mario Gavranovic (Zurich), Admir Mehmedi (Freiburg), Haris Seferovic (Real Sociedad)

On standby: Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen), Fabian Frei (Basel), Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Pajtim Kasami (Fulham), Timm Klose (Wolfsburg), Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Silvan Widmar (Udinese)

 

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Lewandowski a guarantee for success, says Schmelzer

Borussia Dortmund defender Marcel Schmelzer has admitted that Robert Lewandowski's transfer to Bayern Munich this summer is a big blow for BVB and has little doubt the Poland international will succeed at his new club.

The 25-year-old striker will join the Bundesliga champions on a free transfer at the end of the season after four years at Signal Iduna Park and Schmelzer is sad to see his team-mate go."On the one hand, it's a shame we're losing such a world-class player, but on the other hand we want to wish him all the best because he's given us so many enjoyable moments as a team," Schmelzer told the official Bundesliga website.

"For us, he's always been one of those players that guarantees success and he scored a lot of important goals."The left-back also briefly discussed this weekend's DFB Pokal final against Bayern and stressed that Dortmund are determined to beat their domestic rivals and end the season on a high.

"In the last two years, in the finals, the fans were phenomenal," he enthused. "Hopefully, we'll beat Bayern and win the cup again this time."It's a final that both teams want to win, which is why it'll be a completely different game than our win over Hertha at the weekend. Of course, we're really looking forward to it.

"In these kind of finals you have a 50-50 chance. In that respect, it doesn't matter who's on their game. The 90, or even 120, minutes are all that matter."Dortmund and Bayern last met in the DFB Pokal final in 2011-12, when BVB recorded a 5-2 win over their great rivals.

 

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Low: I will not quit if Germany win World Cup

Germany boss Joachim Low has insisted that he would not step down if the Nationalelf were to win this summer's World Cup.

The 54-year-old signed a new deal with the DFB until 2016 back in October 2013, but a number of recent reports suggested he could vacate his position should he lead the country to victory in Brazil.

However, Low has now stressed that he intends to stay in his current job regardless of the outcome of the World Cup."As of today, I expect to stay on as Germany coach until 2016. That's what we have agreed upon," Low was quoted as saying by Express.

"Some might say I should quit if we win the World Cup, but you could also see it as a motivational boost when you become world champions. To build upon such a success and confirm your success would be amazing, too."Some people might think winning the World Cup is a good moment to step down, but [Spain coach] Vicente del Bosque set his sights on winning the European championships after their World Cup triumph."

Germany will have to deal with Portugal, Ghana and USA in Group G at the World Cup.

 

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Van Gaal keen to keep Giggs on Manchester United coaching staff

Louis van Gaal is keen to keep Ryan Giggs on the coaching staff when he takes over at Manchester United, Goal understands.

The Dutchman will soon be announced as the new man in the dugout at Old Trafford and wants to work with interim boss Giggs, especially as his Netherlands ally, Patrick Kluivert, will not be joining him in England.

Giggs has filled in as player-manager since the April sacking of David Moyes and Van Gaal sees the United legend as a useful link to the club.

“When I go to a new club, I always want to keep one coach from the existing staff,” the 62-year-old told Fifa’s official website in December.

“[At Bayern Munich] that person was Herman Gerland, who is still working under Pep Guardiola. I wanted to know who was coming through the youth system and he is the man who said to me: 'Thomas Muller, Holger Badstuber and David Alaba. These are the players.’”

There will be a vacancy at Old Trafford for a new captain after Nemanja Vidic’s summer move to Inter and, with Robin van Persie speculated as a candidate thanks to his pre-exisiting international rapport with the coach, Van Gaal also explained his vision for a skipper.

“This is more based on characteristics, which is very important for me," he remarked. "I have to live with them and give them more responsibility. I have to admire him also because of his personality, his identity. My captains are very professional but also very ambitious and honest.

"Age is not important. When I moved to Barcelona [in 1997], Pep Guardiola was 27 years old - traditionally in Spain, the captains are the eldest players [but] I wanted to give him responsibility and transfer my philosophy. I have to click with my captains.”

As with his captaincy, Van Gaal is happy to give chances to younger players if needs be and is thrilled to see those he has nurtured go on to great things.

The Dutchman added: “You have to play as a team and not as individuals. That's why I'm always going back to the vision, then the team, and then which players fit in my system - a 4-3-3, because I'm always playing that.

“If a young player can do it, then I select him. If it's an older player, it doesn't bother me; it's not the most important factor. Age is not important.

"It makes me happy and proud [to see my young players doing great things] but Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta, [Thiago] Motta, Muller or Alaba fitted in the profile of the position.

“For example, I talked with Alaba about the left full-back position. He didn't want to play there. He was educated as a midfielder but I had a vacant position for him because I had injuries and thought he could do the job.

"After a lot of talking, in the end, he played there because he wanted to help the team. Where is he playing now? Left full-back."

 

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Giggs wa thiyagannawanam echcharai

 

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Arsenal open talks with Toulouse over Aurier move

Arsenal have opened preliminary talks with Toulouse over a €8.6 million move for defender Serge Aurier, Goal can reveal.

The Gunners have made the versatile right-back their top target to replace Bacary Sagna.

Goal revealed on Monday that Sagna has told Arsenal he is leaving when his contract expires next month and that Saturday's FA Cup final against Hull City will be his last game for the club.

Arsenal have been closely monitoring possible Sagna replacements this season in the event that they could not agree a new deal with the 31-year-old.

Aurier has impressed Arsene Wenger's scouting team with his performances for Ligue 1 side Toulouse, who are in mid-table with one match of the season remaining.

Aurier has been a regular provider as well as scorer this season from his right-back role, weighing in with six goals and six assists in league matches alone.

The 21-year-old, who is a full Ivory Coast international, is set to feature in the World Cup this summer and is regarded as a versatile defender who can fill in at left-back and centre-back as well as his favourite right-back role.

Wenger wants deals in place for two new players before the World Cup, even if the formalities are not completed until after the event.

Aurier could now become the Gunners' first summer signing as Wenger steps up plans to strengthen his squad despite not signing his own two-year contract extension that was agreed with Arsenal last October.

Given his age, the likelihood is that Aurier will battle it out with Carl Jenkinson, 22, for a starting role at Emirates Stadium next season.

Sagna will hold talks with a number of clubs later this month, including Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

 

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Robben: Leaving Madrid for Bayern the best decision of my life

Arjen Robben believes that leaving Real Madrid for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2009 was the best decision of his life.

The Netherlands international said farewell to the Spanish giants after just two years at the Santiago Bernabeu and has since developed into a key player at the Allianz Arena.Robben won the treble with Bayern last season and he has no regrets whatsoever over his move to Bavaria."Leaving Madrid for Bayern was the best decision of my life," the Dutchman told the official Bayern website.

The 30-year-old winger then went on to discuss the upcoming DFB-Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund and acknowledged that it will not be an easy game for Bayern."If we perform to our potential and play as a team we have it in us to win the cup," Robben reasoned. "It’s a very good season, and if we win the cup we can call it superb.

"But we know all about their quality. They’re a superb team, so we know what to expect. We’re playing a great team, and those are always the matches you look forward to."

The DFB-Pokal final is scheduled to take place in Berlin on May 17.

 

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Suarez & Cavani headline provisional Uruguay squad

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has named his provisional squad for this summer's World Cup, with Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani and Liverpool star Luis Suarez as the two biggest names in the 25-man roster.Furthermore, record caps holder Diego Forlan has also been included after a solid start at J. League club Cerezo Osaka.

Of the 25 players, 18 are under contract with European clubs, with Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates – on loan at Uruguay's Nacional – and Southampton midfielder Gaston Ramirez also making the squad, which is expected to be cut down to 23 on the Fifa deadline of June 2.

Another three players – Andres Scotti (Nacional), Alvaro Fernandez (Gimnasia La Plata) and Gonzalo Castro (Real Sociedad) – have been named but will take no part in the training camp.

Uruguay have friendlies scheduled against Northern Ireland and Slovenia before a meeting with Costa Rica on June 14 opens their World Cup campaign.Uruguay face Italy, England and Costa Rica in Group D in Brazil.

SQUAD IN FULL:

Goalkeepers: Rodrigo Munoz (Libertad), Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama)

Defenders: Martin Caceres (Juventus), Sebastian Coates (Liverpool), Jorge Fucile (Porto), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Diego Lugano (West Brom), Alvaro Pereira (Sao Paulo), Maxi Pereira (Benfica), Alejandro Silva (Lanus)

Midfielders: Egidio Arevalo (Tigres UANL), Sebastian Eguren (Palmeiras), Walter Gargano (Parma), Alvaro Gonzalez (Lazio), Nicolas Lodeiro (Botafogo), Diego Perez (Bologna), Gaston Ramirez (Southampton), Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain), Diego Forlan (Cerezo Osaka), Abel Hernandez (Palermo), Christian Stuani (Espanyol), Luis Suarez (Liverpool).

 

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Neymar: I will not end my career at Barcelona

Neymar has made it clear that he will not stay at Barcelona until the end of his career as he aims to retire at his boyhood club Santos.

The 22-year-old Brazil international left Vila Belmiro for Camp Nou ahead of the 2013-14 campaign, but he is keen to return to his native country at some point in the future before eventually hanging up his boots."The only thing that is certain is that I will end my career at Santos," Neymar told reporters.

"It is something to think about whether I would be willing to play for another team in Brazil before that."It wouldn't be a problem to sit down and hear an offer. The club can be from Sao Paulo, from Rio de Janeiro or from any other state of Brazil."

Neymar then went on to stress that there were several reasons behind his decision to leave Santos, including a new challenge in La Liga and the Champions League."It wasn't just about the money, that's not why I left," the attacker insisted.

"I wanted to live a dream, play other competitions, play the Champions League, grow, evolve, learn another language, that's what motivated me to come to the European continent."

Neymar has netted 15 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona so far this season.

 

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Balotelli needs to learn how to score goals, says Berlusconi

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi feels Mario Balotelli needs to work on his positioning, claiming the striker does not currently "know how to score goals".
The 23-year-old is the Rossoneri 's leading scorer in Serie A this season, netting 14 goals in 29 appearances.

However, Berlusconi believes in no uncertain terms that the Italy international must stop dropping deep if he wants to realise his "extraordinary" potential as a centre forward."I'd like to ask Balotelli if he wants to win. He will say yes and then I will tell him that he has to stay closer to the goal," the Milan owner told Telelombardia .

"Balotelli cannot play like this. He needs to learn how to score goals. I would like to tell him that you have to be close to the goal if you want to shoot on goal. Why is he in midfield all the time?"Balotelli has extraordinary potential, though. He is not a centre forward in our opinion, so he has to learn how to play in that role."

It has been a difficult season for the San Siro side in which they are likely to miss out on European football altogether and the 77-year-old says he will be looking to sort out the club's future at season's end."The fans are not satisfied with Milan and neither am I, but the difference is that I'm the one who is putting up the money," Berlusconi added.

"We are still the most titled club in the world and we are already working on building the future Milan."I'm not satisfied with how Milan are playing. Not at all. Therefore, we have to reflect upon this fact."

Milan currently sit eighth in the Serie A table, with just one more game to go.

 

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Simeone: Diego Costa should be fit for Liga title decider against Barcelona

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa is winning his battle to be fit for his side's title decider at Barcelona on Saturday.

The Brazil-born Spain international missed Sunday's 1-1 draw at home to Malaga as he continues to recover from a thigh problem, but trained in the gym on Monday and is expected to step up his routine later in the week.

Costa worked alongside goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while midfielder Cristian Rodriguez was put through his paces outside as he returns from a hamstring injury.
Coutois took a knock in Sunday's game at the Vicente Calderon but will definitely start at Camp Nou on Saturday, while coach Diego Simeone is also confident Costa will play a part.

"He is progressing well," the Argentine coach said of his side's top scorer on Sunday. "We'll have to see how he is ahead of the match."If fit, the 25-year-old striker, who has 36 goals in 50 appearances for Atleti this season, will likely appear for the last time in La Liga ahead of a proposed summer move to Chelsea.

The former Valladolid and Celta Vigo forward will also be named in Spain's provisional World Cup squad on Tuesday.

 

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Liverpool boss Rodgers named LMA Manager of the Year

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has been named the Manager of the Year by the League Managers' Association.

The northern Irishman has been honoured for leading the Reds from seventh to second in the Premier League, with only a late collapse denying the club a first league title in 24 years.

Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis finished runner-up to Rodgers in the voting for the overall award, though he did scoop the Premier League Manager of the Year gong for leading the Eagles to mid-table safety.

Roberto Martinez took the third spot for pushing Everton to the brink of Champions League qualification, while Manuel Pellegrini was overlooked despite leading Manchester City to the Premier League title and Capital One Cup in his first season in England.

 

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Congratzzzzzzz Rodgers!​

 

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Luis Enrique set to coach Barcelona

Celta Vigo coach Luis Enrique is on the verge of a summer switch to Barcelona and is keen to make Lionel Messi the central piece in the Catalan club's new sporting project.

The former Barca B boss, who played for the Blaugrana between 1996 and 2004, met with sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta last week at his house in the seaside town of Gava and Goal understands he is now in pole position to take over at Camp Nou at the end of the season.

Current coach Gerardo Martino is set on leaving Barcelona following a season blighted by problems off the pitch, including the controversy surrounding Neymar's move to the club, Sandro Rosell's resignation and the tragic passing of former boss Tito Vilanova late last month.Luis Enrique was considered for the coach's job when Vilanova stepped down on health grounds last July, but the Asturian had already taken over at Celta and Barca opted for Martino instead.

But after a successful season which has seen the Galician side impress following a slow start, Luis Enrique's reputation has grown and the northern outfit sit in eighth place in the Primera Division after beating Real Madrid 2-0 on Sunday.The former Spain midfielder has refused to comment on a possible move, but said on Sunday: "I would like Barcelona to win La Liga. I have no reason to hide that."

Asked about Luis Enrique after Barca's 0-0 draw at Elche, Zubizarreta said: "Luis Enrique is a great coach for Celta and I won't talk about him while we're fighting for La Liga."Zubizarreta had originally planned to appoint fellow Basque Ernesto Valverde, but the Athletic Bilbao boss told his former team-mate he was happy at San Mames after steering the team into the Champions League next season.

So Zubizarreta switched his attentions to Luis Enrique, but the 44-year-old is by no means a unanimous choice at boardroom level and club directors remain divided over the appointment of the former Spain star.

One positive piece of news for Barca fans, however, is that the Celta coach is keen to build a new sporting project around Messi, with the Argentine as the focal point in a side which will aim to play to the strengths of the four-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has endured a difficult season in 2013-14 because of injury and a dip in form compared to his brilliance in previous campaigns.

 

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Wilshere & Oxlade-Chamberlain in as Hodgson names youthful England 2014 World Cup squad

England manager Roy Hodgson has taken a gamble on the fitness of Arsenal duo Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and named the pair in his 23-man World Cup squad.

Wilshere made his comeback from his latest setback at Norwich on Sunday having been out since early March after he injured his ankle on international duty in a collision with Liverpool's Daniel Agger.

Oxlade-Chamberlain missed the first half of the campaign with a knee ligament injury and remains a doubt for Arsenal's FA Cup final against Hull on Saturday with a groin problem, although his manager Arsene Wenger insists Hodgson should have few worries over the fitness of either of his young midfielders.

"The World Cup is in one month, so there is plenty of time," Wenger said after the win over Norwich.

"Wilshere can play now, so it shows you that there is no problem for him to be available for England. The news (on Oxlade-Chamberlain) is good. He should re-integrate into the squad on Wednesday in normal training."

Meanwhile, youngsters Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling have been rewarded for their fine club form with a place in Hodgson's squad.

News broke late on Sunday evening that Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole would not be named in the travelling party and would retire from international football, meaning the official announcement in Luton on Monday afternoon delivered few surprises.

Southampton left-back Shaw, 18, has enjoyed an impressive season in the Premier League and will vie with Leighton Baines for the left-back berth in Cole's absence.

Barkley, 20, and Sterling, 19, have also stood out for Everton and Liverpool, respectively, and represent a new era for the Three Lions.

Shaw's Saints team-mates Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have also been called up, while Manchester United defender Phil Jones is also in despite picking up a shoulder injury against Hull City.

Jones' club-mates Chris Smalling, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck are also included, alongside Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge, who scored 21 Premier League last season, and fellow Reds Glen Johnson, Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard.

Frank Lampard has been named in his third consecutive World Cup squad following appearances in 2006 and 2010, though this season has been the first since 2002-03 that he has not reached double figures in terms of goals.